The Japan National Baseball Team will face Italy in the quarterfinals of the WBC=World Baseball Classic on the evening of the 16th.

Japan advanced to the quarterfinals by winning all four matches in Group B of the first round, which began on 9 this month.

Their opponent is Italy, who finished second in Group A in the first round.

The starting pitcher is Shohei Otani, who is expected to play in the double-wielding style.

As a pitcher, Ohtani started the first game of the tournament against China and pitched four scoreless innings, batting .1% in four games and hitting one home run, earning him the best player in Group B.

Coach KURIYAMA Hideki said, "From the quarterfinals, it will be a different match, and his style is to throw and hit, so I think Sho Ohtani will play well. If you lose, it's over, so all the pitchers and fielders will go."

Italy, who will face them in the quarterfinals, will be led by Mike Piazza, one of the hardest-hitting catchers in the big leagues, and the Dodgers, who also teamed up with Hideo Nomo.

The Angels are a team composed mainly of American players of Italian descent such as Ohtani and his teammate David Fletcher.

If they beat Italy in the Japan, they will advance to the semi-finals to be held in Florida, USA, on 4st of this month, Japan time.

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